The Art Seminar and Thereafter
by Kaffy
Summary: Alternate Universe: Caroline and Richard meet at an art seminar after high school graduation. This is what would happen....
1. The Introduction

.The Art Seminar and Thereafter  
By: Kaffy  
  
Chapter One: The Introduction  
  
"Welcome to Dougan University's Summer Accelerated Art Program," the arrogant announcer boomed to the auditorium full of future freshmen. "You have all been selected for this program because we think you all have great potential. You'll be here for a little over 3 months, training with our top art professors. Now, you can find your room assignments on a list posted outside the auditorium. Get yourselves moved in and comfortable, your classes start tomorrow. Good luck."  
  
The crowd got up and moved towards the door, everyone anxious to know where they would be living for the next 3 months. Caroline pushed her way among the thick crowd. "Excuse me," she piped up, trying to weave the through the throng of people. A tall, blonde man not much older than her rushed past her, knocking her to the ground. "Hey!"  
  
He turned around and briefly said, "Sorry…" before hurrying ahead and checking the list for his name.  
  
Caroline sighed, "Jerk!" She got up and dusted herself off. Eventually, she worked her way up to the sheet. "Jefferson Hall, Room 259…ok." She eventually escaped the crowd and made it outside.  
  
As she was pulling out her handy map, the tall blonde approached her. "I'm sorry I knocked you over in there."  
  
She looked up, getting her first real look at him. He was fairly good looking, dressed in all black, and had captivating eyes. "It's ok, it could have happened to anyone." Something about him was familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry. I have to go, maybe I'll see you around."  
  
"Yeah, maybe."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye." She watched as he walked away with long, confident strides. There was something about his eyes. Most blondes had blue eyes, but his were mysterious, dark brown. She turned her head back to the map. Upon finding Jefferson Hall, she quickly gathered up her things and walked to her room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I want you to want me! I need you to need me! I love you to love me! I'm begging you to beg me!" Caroline opened the door to find a strange girl dancing and singing to the radio. "Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I hear you crying?" The girl caught sight of her and turned down the radio. "Oh, hi."  
  
Caroline replied shyly, "Hi."  
  
"I'm Annie."  
  
She held her hand out, "Caroline, Caroline Duffy."  
  
Annie took her hand and eyed her up and down. She definitely was a country girl, probably really naïve. Being from New York, she had prayed for a sucker roommate from some podunk town that she could…um, well…be friends with, yeah that was it. "So, where you from?"  
  
"Wisconsin. Peshtigo. It's a real small town that you've probably never ever heard of. You?"  
  
"New Jersey."  
  
"Are you here for the art seminar too?"  
  
"Nah, I'm here for a performing arts program. Ya' know, dancing, acting, all that stuff…"  
  
"How long have you been here?"  
  
"I just got in this morning…"  
  
"Yeah, me too. Have you looked around at all?"  
  
Annie smiled. "Not really."  
  
"Well, I was going to take a walk and look around before I unpack. Want to come with me?"  
  
"Sure." So, with that, they both put off unpacking and took off out the door. Caroline, wanting to know more about this girl that she would be living with for the next 3 months, started asking her questions.   
  
"So…do you have a boyfriend at home?"  
  
"Kind of."  
  
"Kind of?"  
  
"Yeah…kind of. I mean, he's my boyfriend at home, but if anything happens down here…well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. What about you?"  
  
"Well, I was dating this guy, Randy, but I broke up with him right before I cam here…in case I met anyone."  
  
Annie nodded. They continued to walk around campus, learning the recognizable buildings to use as landmarks. Luckily for Caroline, the Art Building was really close to Jefferson, just across the street. But the Performing Arts Center was not only across the campus, but also up the dreaded Jefferson Hill. Annie would have a workout just to get to class.  
  
As they walked around, the girls really got to know each other. At first, Annie saw Caroline as a small-town country girl, naïve and totally easy to take advantage of, but after she got to know her a little better, she realized just how Caroline was. They became instant friends.  
  
It was on their walk around campus when Caroline saw him again. The tall blonde. He was sitting under a tree, drawing in a sketchbook. But, it was Annie who was the one to make the first comment.  
  
"Ooh, Caroline, look at him…he is so hot!"  
  
"Yeah, but he's kind of a jerk."  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"Not really. He's taking the art seminar too. He knocked me over earlier when he was rushing out of the auditorium."  
  
"Did he apologize?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but…."  
  
Annie noticed a look in her new friend's eyes. "You have a thing for him, don't you?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Oh my god, you do!" It was so obvious.  
  
"Well…yeah, maybe a little thing."  
  
"So, what's his name?"  
  
"I don't know, he didn't say."  
  
"Well, let's go find out." She pulled on Caroline's arm in the tall blonde's direction.  
  
"No, Annie, no." She pulled back, fighting against Annie's tugs. "If he was interested, he would have said something earlier." She finally got her arm free. "It's way too embarrassing, let's just go home." She turned to go back to Jefferson.  
  
"Ok, fine," Annie replied, turning like she was going to follow Caroline back. Then, she suddenly turned and ran toward the blonde before Caroline could catch her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Richard had seen the red head he bumped into earlier walking with the brunette across the way, but he forced himself not to stare. There was something about her that felt familiar, but he didn't trust it. He didn't like how drawn he was to her. He was a loner, nobody could possibly understand him, and he wasn't going to give anyone a chance to try.  
  
But there was something about her; she was captivating. She had this air about her, an easy confidence added to an innocence he had never seen. She soon became the subject of his sketches. He was so busy sketching, he didn't notice the brunette approaching him as the red head disappeared behind a tree.  
  
"Hey."   
  
He looked up. The brunette. Where was the other one? "Hi." He replied shortly, returning to his sketchpad.  
  
Unperturbed by his rudeness, she stuck out her hand, "Annie Spadaro."  
  
He took her hand briefly, "Nice to meet you," then he turned back to his sketchpad again.  
  
"And you are…."  
  
He sighed, "Not interested."  
  
"Fine, you jerk. I wasn't asking for me anyways…" She turned to walk.  
  
His head shot up. Could she mean the red head? No, you don't want to think like that. You don't need anyone. But, there is something about her. "Richard."  
  
Annie turned around to face him. "What?"  
  
He stood and approached her, sticking his hand out to shake hers. "Richard Karinsky."  
  
She smiled and shook his hand. It was pretty obvious that he had taken as much notice of Caroline as she had of him.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Richard."  
  
"So, who were you asking for?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You said that you were asking for someone else, but you're by yourself…"  
  
Annie looked around, just now noticing that Caroline was in hiding. "Where did she go? Ugh, hold on." She looked around and found Caroline hiding behind a tree. "Come on," she whispered. "He is so into you."  
  
"No, he's not!"  
  
"Yes, he is, he saw us walking together so he knew you were with me…"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Well, he was really rude until I told him I was asking for someone else. He had to have know that I meant you…"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, really. Come on, let me introduce you." She pulled a reluctant Caroline in front of Richard. "Richard, this is Caroline. Caroline, this is Richard."  
  
Yep. There was definitely something about her. He maintained his stoic exterior, but inwardly, he was smiling. This Caroline was absolutely enthralling. She was obviously shy, she wouldn't even look him in the eye.  
  
"Hi." He said soberly.  
  
She looked up and met his eyes. "Hi."  
  
Annie grinned, these two were hilarious. It was like they had never talked to a member of the opposite sex before, ever. "Ok, Caroline. I'm going to unpack, I'll see you later." She walked away quickly, not giving Caroline the chance to join her.  
  
Caroline glanced in Richard's direction, but didn't quite meet his eyes. "So."  
  
"So." There was an awkward silence. "I'm really sorry I knocked you over earlier."  
  
"It was really no big deal."  
  
"Would you like to sit with me? I was just doing some sketches…"  
  
"Sure." The sat down under the tree, a couple of feet apart. Another awkward silence enveloped them again. Desperate to break the silence, Caroline decided to ask him a few questions. "So, where are you from?"  
  
"Southern California, Florida, Chicago, New York…"  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah, well my parents like to move us around….a lot."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok, I'm used to it now. So, um, what about you? Where are you from?"  
  
"Wisconsin, a really small town in Wisconsin."  
  
"And you're here for the art seminar too?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm not very good at it."  
  
"The wouldn't have let you into the program if you didn't have talent."  
  
"Well, I'm kind of an experiment for them. I'm here for cartooning, not actual drawing. It just fit into the art seminar the best."  
  
"Oh, I see…" His tone held a hint of condescension, but she ignored it. She didn't know him well enough to get defensive yet. He started collecting his things. "Well, I better get going."  
  
"Ok, it was nice to meet you." They both started to get up and he noticed that her face saddened.  
  
"It was nice meeting you too." She started to walk away, but something made him reach out and grasp her elbow.   
  
She turned to face him. "What?"  
  
"Um…I…uh," he started stuttering. What was it about her? Why couldn't he just let her go? "I was wondering if you were busy tonight?"  
  
She smiled, "No, not really."  
  
"Would you be any chance, well, want to, um, do something….with me?"  
  
"What did you have in mind?"  
  
"I don't know…I don't really know what there is to do around here."  
  
"Well, we could walk around and see what there is to do…."  
  
"Ok, that sounds good."  
  
"Ok, but I have to go unpack now."  
  
"Ok, I'll pick you up in a couple of hours. What building are you in?"  
  
"Um…Jefferson. Room 259."  
  
"Ok, it's 2:30 now…how about I pick you at 6:30. Is that enough time?"  
  
"Yeah, it should be."  
  
"I guess I'll see you then."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ok, well I have to get going. I'll see you in a few hours."  
  
"Ok, bye."  
  
"Bye." He watched her leave, utterly confused. He didn't understand why he felt this way. He didn't understand why he felt like he had to see this girl, this Caroline. She didn't create real art, she drew cartoons. She was a small-town girl with a small-town naiveté, something he had always despised. What was it about her? Oh well, maybe he would find out tonight. He gathered up his supplies and walked to his room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Caroline opened and shut her dorm room door, resting her head against it. Annie was busy unpacking and didn't notice when Caroline came in. Caroline sighed, alerting Annie to her presence. She looked up expectantly. "Well? How did it go?"  
  
"I should kill you."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"You left me alone with him!"  
  
"So, I didn't want to stay and watch you two making puppy dog eyes at each other…."  
  
"We weren't really doing that, were we?"  
  
Annie laughed. "Yes, you really were."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh, I don't care, but tell me what happened?"  
  
Caroline started to unpack while she was talking. "Ok, well we sat down and started talking, just, like, small talk, but we were talking. Then I told him I was here for cartooning and not actual art and he got this…I don't know…weird look on his face and excused himself to go. So I got up to go, but he stopped me and asked me out tonight."  
  
Annie raised her fist in triumph, "Yes!"  
  
Caroline looked up and smiled. "I know."  
  
"So what are you going to do?"  
  
"Well, neither of us know anything to do around here, so we're just going to go for a walk and maybe find something…"  
  
"Uh huh, so are you meeting him somewhere or is he picking you up."  
  
"He's picking me up in a little while, after I unpack."  
  
"Ooh!" she squealed, "I'm so excited for you, he is so into you."  
  
"I don't think so…you should have seen his face when I told him about the cartooning thing, it was like…" she sighed, "….utter disgust."  
  
"But he asked you out afterwards right?"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
"Trust me, you should have seen the way his head shot up when he thought I was asking for you," she chuckled slightly as she remembered, "He is really into you."  
  
"Maybe…"  
  
They continued to talk for the next 3 hours as they unpacked, until Caroline looked down at her watch…. "Oh my God! Richard is going to be here in less than an hour!"  
  
"Ok, just relax. You go take a shower, I'll pick out something for you to wear."   
  
Caroline quickly changed into her bathrobe and got her shower materials together while Annie started digging through her closet. Not finding anything suitable in Caroline's closet, Annie moved to her own closet to find something a bit more risqué. She finally got something picked out just when Caroline came back with a towel wrapped around her head. She saw what Annie had laid out, a tight, black mini-skirt with a bright red body suit that was really low-cut.   
  
"Annie, I can't wear that!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He won't go for that…"  
  
"How could he not?"  
  
"I don't know why not, but trust me, he won't. He isn't like most guys. I mean, did you see what he was wearing? All black. I need to wear something that's a little more me." She pulled out a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. "What about this?"  
  
"Doesn't really do much for your figure…why don't you try a tighter shirt?"  
  
"I don't have that much to show off anyway…"  
  
"Ok, if that's what makes you comfortable, then wear it."  
  
"Yeah." She quickly got dressed and did her hair and makeup. When she was ready, she plopped down on the bed and waited, talking to Annie to pass the time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Richard stood in front of the mirror for the fourth time. **I think this one might be it. Ugh…** He sighed. **Why am I doing this? She's just a girl! A perky country bumpkin who draws cartoons! Why am I so worried about a stupid little walk with her?** He eyed himself up and down, black jeans with a gray polo shirt. **Ok, this is the right one. What is it about her? Why am I so drawn to her?** He looked down at his watch and sighed. "Time to go." He grabbed his keys and walked out the door of his single and down the stairs to the first floor. He walked across the couple of streets towards her building, thinking. **There has to be a reason I'm so drawn to her, right? Fate? Ok, I'm just going to go with the flow on this.** He found himself right outside Jefferson. **Ok. Room 259, here we go.**  
  



	2. The First Date

The Art Seminar and Thereafter  
By: Kaffy  
  
  
Chapter 2: The First Date  
  
He knocked on their door nervously. **Just be polite to that Annie girl, get Caroline, and go. Everything will fall into place from there.**  
  
Annie opened the door, "Hey, Richie!"  
  
"It's Richard, not Richie…"  
  
"Sure, whatever you say Richie."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Is Caroline ready yet?"  
  
Caroline yanked Annie away from the door. "Yeah, I'm ready. Bye Annie."  
  
"Bye kids, don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
This time, it was Caroline's turn to roll her eyes. She quickly shut the door as they headed down the stairs and out of the building. Once they got inside, Richard worked up the nerve to break the silence.   
  
"So, are you coming here this fall?"  
  
Relieved to have some conversation, Caroline answered, "No, I'm going to the University of Wisconsin, you?"  
  
"NYU."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So what does someone who wants to be a cartoonist major in?"  
  
"I'm not sure really. Right now, I'm a fine arts major with a minor in business."  
  
"But that might change?"  
  
"Yeah, maybe, I'm not really sure."  
  
"So, uh, what do you want to do tonight?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Well, the main drag is just up the street there, that's where everything seems to be. Why don't we walk up there and see what there is?"  
  
"That sounds good."  
  
They walked aimlessly around campus, quietly talking and getting to know each other. She talked about her family and friends and what she wanted her cartoon to be about while he listened patiently. As much as she tried to get him to open up, he kept her at a distance, never revealing too much about himself. He mostly talked about art. It amazed Caroline how passionate he was about it. It seemed as though he could talk about it for hours on end. Eventually they came to a small diner just like the kind you see in old 50's movies.  
  
"You hungry?" Richard asked.  
  
"Yeah, I could eat."  
  
He opened the door for her and gestured for her to go in. They were seated quickly, in a booth way in the back corner. "So," Richard asked, "Are you seeing anyone at home?"  
  
She blushed. "Not really. I was but I just broke up with him."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
It was his turn to blush. "No, I've never really met anyone that I was interested in."  
  
Her face dropped. "Oh."  
  
"Oh, that sounds bad, I didn't mean you, ugh…" He sighed. "I'm not really good at this stuff…what I meant is I've never really met anyone I was interested in, until I met you."  
  
She smiled and looked up, catching his gaze with hers. She reached across the table and grasped his hand. They kept up the small talk throughout the rest of their meal, probably for the first time in Richard's life. When they were finished, he quickly paid the bill and helped Caroline with her jacket.  
  
"So," Richard asked as they got outside, "What do you want to do now?"  
  
Her shyness came back up to the surface again, "Um…I don't know."  
  
He reached down and grabbed her hand. "Want to keep walking?"  
  
She nodded, smiling. They strolled around for the next hour. Slowly but surely, Caroline got Richard to open up and talk about his parents and sister. Eventually, they came to a small brook. They sat on the bank, still holding hands and talking quietly. "What classes are you taking while you're here?" Caroline asked.  
  
"A painting class and a drawing seminar. You?"  
  
"Mostly drawing classes, realistic and cartooning."  
  
She leaned her head on his shoulder, causing him to tense up. She noticed and pulled back, a little disappointed. He gulped a breath of fresh air and a breath of confidence and put his arm around her shoulder. Smiling, she put her head back on his shoulder.  
  
"You know, Richard, it's getting kind of late." She got no response. "Maybe we should get going…"  
  
He seemed far off, "Yeah, maybe…" He got up and offered her his hand, helping her get up too."  
  
"We don't have to go back if you don't want…"  
  
"No, it's ok. We both have to get up early."  
  
They walked back silently, holding hands, both deep in thought. Neither of them had ever met anyone like the other.   
  
To Caroline, Richard was an enigma. Everyone she'd ever met was perky, always smiling, but Richard was different. He was dark and cynical, nothing she had ever seen before.   
  
To Richard, Caroline was a dream. She represented everything he'd ever wanted to grow up with: a stable, happy family who gave everyone a chance. But also, he saw something in her eyes, she was special and he had to see more of her.  
  
"So," Richard asked as they approached Jefferson, "Can I see you again?"  
  
She smiled. "Yeah." She wrote down her number and gave it to him.  
  
"Well, I guess this is goodnight…"  
  
"Yeah, goodnight…"  
  
He didn't want to let go of her hand, but he did, only to rest his on her cheek. He slowly leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. It was soft and sweet, absolutely perfect. "Goodnight, Caroline." With that, they both went back to their rooms to think about the night's events.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Well, what happened?"  
  
"Oh my god, Annie! It was great!"  
  
Annie smiled, "Really?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"So, what did you do?"  
  
"We went for a walk, then out to eat at this cute little diner, then walked some more. Then, we got to this little stream and sat and talked for a little while, then he walked me back here and…um…said goodnight."  
  
"Uh, huh…" Annie grinned, knowing something more had happened and implying that she wanted to hear more.  
  
"Stop, I'm not one to kiss and tell."  
  
"Aww, man, come on, after all the work I did to introduce you two…"  
  
"Ok ok. He walked me home and kissed me goodnight."  
  
"So, are you seeing him again?"  
  
"Yeah, he said he'd call tomorrow after classes."  
  
"You are so luck you met him already."  
  
Caroline grinned, "I know."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Richard collapsed onto his bed, smiling gently. It was a good night. He had never felt like this before, never felt like this about anyone. Caroline was definitely special. Normally, a person like her would drive him insane, pure, wholesome, naïve. But, she was also kind, caring, and genuinely interested in getting to know him. Not to mention that kiss. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, sweet and innocent. He smiled just thinking about it. Tomorrow seemed like a decade away. He sighed and rolled over, falling asleep a few minutes later.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day, classes started. They all woke up early and got ready. Annie bounded up the hill to go to her dance class across campus. Both Richard and Caroline had classes in the art building that morning, but not together. They saw each other walking around between classes, politely waving and smiling. They both had a break at noon for lunch.   
  
Caroline sat outside on the steps, eating an apple while she waited for Annie. She didn't hear Richard approach her from behind.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Oh, hey, Richard." He sat down next to her. "How are your classes so far?"  
  
"Well, I've only had my drawing seminar, but it went pretty well."  
  
"Good."  
  
"How are yours?"  
  
"Good. I just had my cartooning class. I was the only one in it, kind of like an independent study, so it was pretty cool."  
  
"Good."  
  
It was at that moment that Annie walked up, also on a break for lunch.  
  
"Hey Caroline! Hey Richie!" He didn't even bother to correct her.  
  
"Hey Annie, how are classes so far?" Caroline asked.  
  
"Tiring, I've been dancing for the last 3 hours straight. But, it's ok because I met a guy in class, and let's just say he's limber." She smirked.  
  
Caroline smiled while Richard just rolled his eyes and looked away.  
  
"So are you guys going out again tonight? Huh? Huh? Huh?"  
  
Richard looked over at Caroline and shrugged, "Want to?"  
  
"Sure, but I really want to know why Annie is so anxious to know…"  
  
"I invited Seth back to the room later on." She smiled sheepishly.  
  
Caroline laughed, "Well, if Richard can stand me for another night…"  
  
He nodded. "I think I could handle it." He smiled to himself. **Handle it? Now that's an understatement!** "I'll call you later on. But now if you'll excuse me, I have some stuff to do at home." He gently squeezed Caroline's hand, "I'll see you later." He got up and walked towards his dorm.  
  
"Come on Annie, let's go get some lunch and you can tell me all about this Seth."  
  
"Ok."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was around 7 that night when Richard called. Both he and Caroline had work to do for their classes, so they decided to hang out in his room and work on the sketches.  
  
"Ok, see you Annie, have fun tonight!"  
  
"You too." Annie winked.  
  
Caroline rolled her eyes and shut the door. She walked the couple of streets over to his building, climbed the stairs, and knocked on his door.  
  
"Come in," came the muffled response from behind the door.  
  
She opened it slowly, revealing Richard sprawled out on his bed with a pencil and sketchpad, drawing furiously. "Hey Richard."  
  
He looked up and smiled. "Hey. Have a seat." She sat opposite him on a small chair and took in his surroundings. His room was a single, and therefore, much smaller than hers. It really only had room for a bed, desk, and extra chair.   
  
"What are you working on?"  
  
"Just some sketches for class."  
  
"Oh." Caroline pulled out her sketchpad and started to sketch herself. They made small talk while they did their work. A couple of hours passed before they knew it, but they were still talking and getting to know each other a little better. The phone interrupted them.  
  
"Who the hell would be calling me?" he perplexed, "You're the only person I know here…hello?"  
  
"Hi Richie, is Caroline there?"  
  
"Yeah, hold on…Caroline, it's Annie."  
  
She took the phone, "What's up?"  
  
"Do you know what time you're coming home?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"Well, um…Seth and I are…uh…just trying to make some plans…" She sounded distracted.   
  
"Um, hold on…uh, Richard?"  
  
He looked up, "What?"  
  
"Annie wants to know when I'm coming home…"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Caroline blushed and covered the receiver with her hand, "I think she wants to know if I can spend the night here so Seth can spend the night at our room."  
  
It was Richard's turn to blush, "Yeah, I guess that would be ok."  
  
She turned back to the phone, "Annie? I think I'm just going to spend the night here…"  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yeah," she looked over at Richard, who was back to his drawing and not really paying attention. "So, you can go ahead an let Seth spend the night."  
  
"How did you know that was why I was calling?"  
  
"I could just tell."  
  
"Ok, well, have fun tonight."  
  
"You too, be careful."  
  
"I will. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah. Bye." She hung up the phone and looked over at Richard. "Are you sure this is ok? I don't want to impose."  
  
He smiled, "Caroline, it's fine, I swear. I'll just sleep on the floor."  
  
"No, no, no, no, no…I couldn't let you do that, I'll sleep on the floor."  
  
"No really, it's fine. You're the guest, you take the bed…"  
  
"But I would feel bad, you take the bed, I insist."  
  
"No."   
  
He said it so simply, she knew there was no way she would change his mind. But, she didn't want to make him sleep on the floor. "Well, we could both sleep in the bed…"  
  
His head shot up, "What?"  
  
Realizing what he thought she meant, she blushed. "No, not like that…just sleeping…"  
  
"I guess we could…" He was apprehensive. The more he got to know Caroline, the more attracted to her he became. He wasn't sure how his body would respond if he slept next to her all night. "Are you sure though?"  
  
She smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah."  
  
He smiled shyly and looked to the ground. "Well, I'm pretty much done."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Do you want to go out and do something?"  
  
She looked at the clock, it read midnight. "Isn't kind of late to go out?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Are you tired?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Me neither." She got up and sat next to him on the bed. "So…"  
  
"So…" They both looked to the floor, letting the awkwardness of the situation surround them. Richard finally broke the silence. "What do you want to do now?"  
  
She grasped his hand, causing him to look up and catch her eyes. "I don't know." He slowly leaned and brushed his lips across hers. They both pulled back for a brief moment to look in each other's eyes before leaning in for a deeper, more engaging kiss. Caroline opened her lips slightly, brushing her tongue against his lips and inviting his tongue to do the same. Their tongues danced together, soft but sensual. They continued to kiss lovingly for a few minutes before Caroline pulled away, "Wow."  
  
"Yeah…wow." He pressed another gently kiss to her lips before pulling away. "Um…do you want to go to bed?"  
  
She looked to the floor disappointed. "I guess."  
  
He sensed her disappointment. "Are you tired?"  
  
She wasn't, but she didn't want to keep him up if he was. "Are you?"  
  
He smiled, "I asked you first."  
  
She smiled back. "I asked you second."  
  
He sighed. "You won't let me win this will you?" She shook her head, laughing lightly. "No, I'm not really tired, but there isn't much to do here."  
  
"Yeah." She touched her chin pensively. "Maybe we could just get ready for bed. Then, we can jut lie down and talk and whatever happens, happens."  
  
"Yeah, ok."  
  
"Do you have something I can sleep in?"  
  
"Oh, yes of course." He pulled out a big t-shirt. "Is this ok? Or do you need bottoms too?"  
  
She took the shirt form him and held it up to her tiny body. "No, this should be fine. Could you maybe…turn around?"  
  
"Oh, yes, of course." He turned towards the window while she quickly changed.   
  
"Ok, you can turn around now." He turned to look. It was amazing how sexy she looked in his shirt. Her voice brought him out of his gaze. "Do you need to get ready?"  
  
"Um…I usually just sleep in a t-shirt and boxers. Is that ok?"  
  
"Yeah, that's fine." She turned around while he took off his pants and shirt and put a t-shirt on. "Ok, you can turn around." She turned around. "Come one, I'll let you use my toothbrush…"  
  
They went to the bathroom to brush their teeth and wash their faces. Then, they went back to his room and got into bed.  
  
At first, they were as far apart as possible, a difficult task in a twin bed. "So, how did you like your afternoon classes?" Caroline was trying to break the tension.  
  
"I only had 1, but it was good. It was painting, that's my specialty really, so it was good. What about you?"  
  
"I had realistic drawing…it was ok…I'm just not very good at it…"  
  
He turned on his side and propped his head up with his elbow. "Maybe I could help you sometime."  
  
She turned on her side to face him, mirroring him with her head and elbow. Smiling, she said, "I'd like that."  
  
He returned her smile and looked down. "Thank you for letting me stay here," she reached out to touch his hair, brushing a stray lock back into place, "I really appreciate it."   
  
He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "You're welcome." He rolled over on his back, pulling Caroline with him. She rested her head on his chest, her arm draped across his chest. He sighed, "This is nice."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"This…cuddling with someone…I've never had that before."  
  
"Oh." She tightened her hold on him. He pulled her a little closer in return. They lay quietly for a few minutes, both enjoying the companionship.  
  
"Richard?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I want you to know…I don't usually spend the night with a guy so soon…"  
  
"I figured."  
  
She took a deep breath, gathering up her courage. "I just feel really comfortable with you, like we have a connection…"  
  
He kissed the top of her head, "I know."  
  
She looked up, meeting his eyes with hers. "You feel it too?"  
  
He nodded, never breaking eye contact. "Yes."  
  
She crawled up on top of him, her face inches from his. They kissed again, soft and sweet before she settled back onto his chest. The cradled her with his left arm while he tucked his right behind his head.   
  
"Goodnight Caroline."  
  
"Goodnight Richard."  
  
They were soon fast asleep, each with a gently smile on their face.  
  
(to be continued)  



	3. The Anniversary

The Art Seminar and Thereafter   
By: Kaffy   
  
  
Chapter 3: The Anniversary   
  
Richard and Caroline only grew closer, spending most of their evenings together. Sometimes Richard would stay home and sketch or go to the studio in the art building to paint while Caroline and Annie would have a girls' night out, but usually Annie was busy entertaining guests of her own. Before they knew it, a month had passed. Richard had been hinting to Caroline all week that he might be doing something special for their one month anniversary, but she couldn't get him to tell her what it might be.   
  
"Come on Richard…what are we doing?"   
  
He grinned at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I don't know what you're talking about…"   
  
She opened her mouth to interrupt, but he stopped her with a kiss, which she quickly pulled away from. "Oh no you don't. None of that until you tell me what we're doing tonight."   
  
He pulled her into another gentle kiss. "Please, I want it to be a surprise…"   
  
She sighed, "Ok, but I can't stand not know…"   
  
He laughed, "I can tell. Now, go get ready."   
  
"What should I wear?"   
  
"Nothing fancy."   
  
"Ok, I'll call you when I'm ready." She kissed his willing lips and skipped out of the room.   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
Caroline ran to her room, anxious to get ready. The sooner she was ready, the sooner they could leave and she would find out what he planned. She hopped in the shower and got ready, choosing to wear jeans and a tank top. When she was ready, she picked up the phone.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Hey, it's me. I'm ready."   
  
He laughed into the receiver, "That was quick."   
  
"I know, I rushed so I could find out what we're doing faster."   
  
"Ok, I'll be there in a few minutes."   
  
"Ok, bye."   
  
"Bye." She hung up the phone just as Annie walked in.   
  
"Hey Caroline."   
  
"Hey."   
  
"You look nice."   
  
"Thanks, Richard's taking me out for our anniversary."   
  
"What are you doing?"   
  
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."   
  
"I bet that's killing you."   
  
"You have no idea." She started giggling.   
  
Annie laughed with her. "So when are you leaving?"   
  
"He's on his way right now."   
  
"And you have absolutely no idea what you're doing?"   
  
"Nope, none."   
  
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Caroline jumped up to answer it. The door opened slowly to reveal Richard in his usual black jeans and gray t-shirt, holding a dozen red roses. "Hey Richard."   
  
"Hi," he leaned in and kissed her cheek, handing her the flowers, "these are for you."   
  
"Thanks, come on in." He settled down on her bed while she filled a pitcher up with water and put the flowers in it. "Now will you tell me what we're doing?"   
  
He grinned, "No, it's a surprise."   
  
"Pleeeeeeeeeease…"   
  
Annie started laughing. "Ok, if you guys are going to keep this cutesy little lovey-dovey thing you have going on, then you have to leave. My date for the night just baled on me, and I don't feel like seeing it."   
  
"Ok, ok, we're sorry, Annie." Caroline grabbed his hand, "We're leaving now. Bye."   
  
"Bye, have fun tonight."   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
"Please tell me where you're taking me…"   
  
"No." He pulled out a blindfold. "In fact, you're going to put this on."   
  
He started to wrap it around her eyes, but she pulled away. "No, come one, you're trying to kill me."   
  
He gave her the puppy dog eyes. "Please, I want this to be a complete surprise."   
  
"Ok, but you owe me big time."   
  
He laughed and put the blindfold on, grabbing her hand. He led her away from the dorm towards the stream that they sat by on their first date. "Ok," he said, "you can take it off now."   
  
She took it off and smiled at the sight in front of her, a romantic picnic with 2 lit candles and food from the diner. "Wow, Richard! This is great…" She placed a soft kiss on his lips.   
  
He smiled, "You're welcome."   
  
They sat and ate, enjoying the food, the atmosphere, and especially the company. When they were finished with dessert, Caroline helped Richard clean up. "So what are we doing now?"   
  
"I don't know, what time is it?"   
  
"Nine thirty."   
  
"Well, it's too late to do what I was going to do."   
  
"What were you going to do?"   
  
"Well, I was hoping we could get into the art building, I wanted to show you the painting I've been working on."   
  
"Oh."   
  
"But it's too late now."   
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
"It's ok, I can just do it some other time."   
  
"Ok, so what now?"   
  
"Well, I thought we could go for a walk, just like our first date or maybe go back to my room for a little while. I don't know. Is there anything you want to do?"   
  
"A walk sounds nice."   
  
They took off around campus, gently clinging to each other's hands and quietly talking. It was around eleven that they found themselves outside Richard's dorm.   
  
He quietly stated, "I thought that maybe you might want to spend the night tonight…"   
  
She smiled up at him. "I think I'd like that."   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
When they got back to his room, he pushed her down on the bed so he could talk to her. He didn't know how to say what he needed to say. "I…um…have something to tell you. I don't really know how, but I guess I just wanted to…um…tell you that I'm, uh…" He didn't know how to finish.   
  
She grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit on the bed next to her. "What is it?"   
  
He looked into her eyes, getting courage from their expression, "I think I'm falling in love with you."   
  
She smiled and looked down, blushing. "I think I'm falling in love with you too." She met his eyes and leaned forward, coaxing a gentle caress from his lips. He slowly leaned back, laying down and bringing Caroline with him.   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
Caroline was the first to wake the next morning. She looked over her shoulder and saw him sleeping, a soft smile on his face. She smiled and turned over, placing a gentle kiss oh his lips to wake him up. He moaned and smiled, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, but not opening his eyes. His lips blindly sought hers, but she resisted. "Come one, we have to get up. We both have class in 45 minutes."   
  
He ran a hand down her still bare back, causing her to moan. He smiled, "Can't we stay in bed for a little while longer?"   
  
"You make it so hard to be good…"   
  
He kissed her gently on the neck and shoulders, "So?"   
  
"How long does it take to walk there?"   
  
"Five minutes…"   
  
"And how long does it take to get ready?"   
  
"For me? Ten minutes…"   
  
"And I have to stop by my room and get my sketches, that'll take five minutes."   
  
He continued his kiss on the hollow of her shoulder, making her breathless as she finally answered, "I'll give twenty more minutes."   
  
"But it leaves us 25 minutes…" he whined, continuing his soft caresses.   
  
"It takes me 15 minutes to get ready…"   
  
It was her turn to kiss him, but she chose his chest, he moaned with pleasure. "I guess I'll have to settle…" he couldn't finish, too distracted by Caroline's touch to think straight. "Caroline, if we keep this up, I won't be able to stop…"   
  
She grinned up at him, "Sorry." She collapsed onto his chest. They stayed there, cuddling, until it was time to leave. They quickly got dressed and ready for class. He walked her back to her room and waited for her to get her stuff together and they went their separate ways to separate classes.   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
Caroline didn't see Annie again until that afternoon after classes. She crossed the street back to Jefferson and climbed the stairs to their room, where Annie was waiting.   
  
"Hey Annie."   
  
"Hey, how did it go last night?"   
  
Not able to control herself, Caroline chuckled, "It went really well."   
  
"Yeah? Do tell."   
  
"Let's just say, he definitely has a romantic side."   
  
Annie grinned, "I noticed you didn't come home…"   
  
Caroline tried to play it coy, but being incapable of lying, she erupted into giggles, "I don't know what you could possible mean…"   
  
"You didn't?!"   
  
"We did!"   
  
"Wow! Finally!"   
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"   
  
"Well, if it was me, we would have done it, like, 3 weeks ago."   
  
"Oh, well, I don't think he would jump into that. You know how serious he is."   
  
"Yeah, I guess…so are you guys doing anything tonight?"   
  
"I don't know, why?"   
  
"Remember Seth?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Well, he and I wanted to go out, maybe see a movie, you guys want to come?"   
  
"Maybe, he didn't get any work done yesterday 'cause he was so busy getting stuff ready for last night, so he might have to stay in."   
  
"Ok, just let me know."   
  
Just then, the phone rang. Knowing it was Richard, Caroline grabbed it before Annie could embarrass her. "Hello?"   
  
"Hey, it's me."   
  
"Hey you. Annie wanted to know if we wanted to out with her and Seth tonight."   
  
"I don't know, I have a lot of work to do."   
  
"Ok, so what's up?"   
  
"I was just seeing if you wanted to come over again tonight."   
  
"I don't know, can I call you back?"   
  
"Of course."   
  
"Ok, I'll call you in a little bit."   
  
"Ok. I love you."   
  
"I love you too. Bye." She put the phone down and looked at Annie, whose jaw was on the floor.   
  
"I love you?"   
  
"Stop right there, Annie…"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Don't tease me about this please…"   
  
"I wasn't going to." She got an unbelieving look from Caroline. "I swear! I was just going to say that I'm glad you 2 finally admitted it."   
  
Caroline smiled. "Thanks. Well anyway, ha can't go out tonight, he has too much work to do."   
  
"Oh, ok. Are you going over there?"   
  
"I don't know. Do you want some alone time here with Seth?"   
  
Annie smiled, "I wouldn't complain…"   
  
"Then, ok, I'll sleep there."   
  
(to be continued)


	4. The Rest of the Summer

The Art Seminar and Thereafter   
By: Kaffy   
  
  
Chapter 4: The Rest of the Summer   
  
Another month went by, a month of happiness. Richard and Caroline grew closer and closer, falling even more in love. Annie called home and broke up with Nick. She and Seth had been seeing each other a lot, they were pretty exclusive. As much as Annie tried to convince Richard to double with her and Seth, he always found a reason to stay home. It wasn't that he didn't like Annie, he just didn't do well in group situations.   
  
"Come on, Richard, please…" Caroline grabbed his hands and gave him the puppy eyes, begging him.   
  
"Ugh, Caroline, I told you…I have too much work to do. Why don't you and I just stay in?"   
  
"Because," she started, "I want to go out and besides, it's not like we get any work done when we stay in anyways."   
  
He sighed, "Why is this so important to you?"   
  
"Because I feel like you aren't even giving them a chance. Annie's my friend and I feel like you don't like her."   
  
He kissed her softly. "It's not that, I really don't mind her or Seth."   
  
"Then what is it?"   
  
"I just…I don't deal well with group situations."   
  
"But I'll be there, it won't be too bad."   
  
"You don't understand. I freeze up. I get really nervous and I start picking at people."   
  
"Picking at people?"   
  
"Yeah, picking at people. I find their insecurities and start picking at them."   
  
"Well, I'll just have to keep you in line the." She pulled him close by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the mouth.   
  
"I just don't want to say something I'll regret or that will embarrass you."   
  
"First off, you could never embarrass me. Second, I won't let you say anything that will embarrass you. Come on, don't you think it would be nice to go out with other people…you know…something a little different?"   
  
"Do you really want this?" He looked into her eyes, unable to refuse her anything.   
  
She honestly answered, "Yes."   
  
"Then," he sighed, "I'll give it a try."   
  
"Really?" She jumped up and down, hugging him hard.   
  
"Calm down." She stopped jumping, just holding him close. "I'll do it for you."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
"You're welcome."   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
That night, Richard, Caroline, Annie, and Seth all went out to dinner at a small Italian place just outside of town.   
  
"So," Seth started, "Richard, you're an art student, right?"   
  
"Yeah," he answered shortly.   
  
"Any specific kind?"   
  
"Well, mostly painting, but sometimes drawing and sculpture…" He looked at Caroline on the other side of him, deep in conversation with Annie. He hated making small talk like this.   
  
"Any particular style?"   
  
"Abstract, mostly surreal…"   
  
"Cool."   
  
"Yeah." The two young men sat quiet for a few awkward minutes. "So, performing arts?"   
  
Seth smiled, glad to get rid of the silence. "Yeah. I like music a lot more than the dancing and acting, but it's all pretty cool."   
  
"That's cool."   
  
The four of them kept up the small talk throughout the rest of the evening. At times, Caroline could tell that Richard was getting anxious and she reached over to grab his hand, smiling up at him. He would glance over, giving her hand a soft squeeze and her eyes a reassuring smile, letting her know he was ok. When the bills came around, both Richard and Seth reached for them, but Annie and Caroline stopped them.   
  
"No." Caroline said, "You always pay, I get to this time."   
  
Annie smiled, "Yep, me too."   
  
"Caroline…" Richard started, but she interrupted.   
  
"No, Richard, really. I want to."   
  
He gave her an exasperated look. "Why?"   
  
"Because, you shouldn't have to pay for everything."   
  
He sighed, "Are you sure?"   
  
She nodded, "Yes. Definitely."   
  
"Ok."   
  
Annie and Seth were having the same conversation, Annie winning in the end just as Caroline did. Richard and Seth waited while the girls tended to the bill. When everything was settled, they got up and left. As soon as they got outside, Richard grabbed Caroline's hand, needing some kind of contact with her. Seth did the same thing with Annie.   
  
They walked back to Jefferson slowly, talking softly about classes, friends, and how they wanted to be this free forever. When they were almost there, Richard pulled Caroline back, wanting to ask her something in private. "You know," he grinned, "I think those two want to be alone tonight, how about you come home with me?"   
  
She giggled and grinned back at him, "I suppose, but just for Annie's sake," she quipped, leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. "Let's go upstairs and get my stuff."   
  
"What stuff?"   
  
"Like, pajamas…"   
  
He nibbled on her earlobe, softly asking, "What if I said you didn't need them?"   
  
She smiled and pulled back. "Come on, I still need clothes for tomorrow and my toothbrush and everything…"   
  
"Ugh…ok." She dragged him back up to Annie and Seth.   
  
"Annie?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
Richard's hands were now around her waist as he walked behind her, nuzzling into her neck. She giggled, "I think I'm spending the night at Richard's…"   
  
Annie laughed, "I figured. You want to come up, Seth?" she asked as they got to the steps of the building.   
  
Seth smiled. "Well, if you're going to twist my arm…" he leaned in and kissed her.   
  
Both couples climbed the stairs, silently holding hands. It only took Caroline a few minutes to pack a few things, then she and Richard left. "Have fun tonight guys."   
  
"Thanks, you too. Bye Caroline, Richie."   
  
"Bye."   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
"Now, was that really so bad?" she asked as they were walking.   
  
"No," he replied. "It wasn't so bad…"   
  
"How did you get along with Seth?"   
  
"Ok. A little too much small talk, but he seemed nice."   
  
"Good."   
  
They walked the rest of the way in silence, holding hands and enjoying the company, Richard carrying Caroline's bag. When they got to his building, they climbed the stairs in silence. Approaching the door, he let go of her hand and pinned her against the door, kissing her hard on the mouth. She smiled briefly under his lips before kissing back.   
  
"Richard…" she murmured.   
  
"Hmmm…" she moved to her neck.   
  
"Not out her…" she said breathlessly, "…inside."   
  
He smiled against her lips, not stopping his affections as he opened the door. They tumbled inside, too into each other to pay mind to anything else. As soon as he swung the door shut, she reached up and started removing his shirt. He laughed at her impatience. She would have been mad, but he quickly returned the favor. They made their way to the bed, not a far walk in the tiny room and quickly crawled in, Richard pulling the covers above their heads.   
  
(to be continued)


	5. The Preparation to Say Goodbye

The Art Seminar and Thereafter   
By: Kaffy   
  
  
Chapter 5: The Preparation to Say Goodbye   
  
As the next few weeks passed, Richard grew sad, leaving Caroline confused. She thought he was happy with her.   
  
"Richard, what's wrong?"   
  
"It's nothing Caroline." He looked back down at his drawing. She got up form the chair and joined him on the bed.   
  
"It's not nothing, please talk to me…"   
  
He sighed. It was true, he was sad, he'd never been sadder as a matter of fact. "I'm sorry…it's just that, we don't have that much more time together. The seminar ends in a week and a half."   
  
"Oh." She pulled him close, taking the sketchpad from his hand and tossing it to the chair. "Richard, it'll be ok. We'll work though this. A lot of people our age have long-distance relationships."   
  
He pulled back, gazing into her eyes while he gently ran the back of his hand down her cheek. "I'm just really going to miss you."   
  
Tears clouded her vision. "I'm going to miss you too." She leaned forward and brushed her tear-stained face lips against his. "You do want to still…you know, but us, after this, right?"   
  
He looked shocked. "Of course I do, I love you."   
  
She smiled. "Good." She pulled closer, resting her head on his chest.   
  
"You want to continue this too, right?"   
  
She looked into his eyes, smiling gently, "Richard, I've never felt this way about anyone, I love you more than I ever thought possible…of course I want to stay with you"   
  
"I'm going to hate not waking up next to you…"   
  
"And I'm going to miss holding you while I sleep…"   
  
A soft smile crossed his face, "The way you laugh…"   
  
The same soft smile graced her face, "Watching you work…"   
  
"The way you kiss…" he said as he ran his fingers across her lips.   
  
"The way you look into my eyes and read me like a book…" she said as she caught his gaze with hers. The held each other close, consoling each other. "Maybe I can fly to New York for Christmas…"   
  
"And I could go to Wisconsin for Spring Break…"   
  
"We'll work it out."   
  
"I love you."   
  
"I love you too."   
  
*~*~*~*~*'   
  
Before they knew it, the last day of the seminar arrived. It was their last night together, both of them would be leaving the next day.   
  
"Come on, Caroline, I know you want a big, romantic evening…"   
  
"No, I don't. I just want to spend time with you, real time…"   
  
"I know you better than that…"   
  
"No, I just want to spend a nice, quiet evening in your room…please…"   
  
He kissed her knuckles, "Are you sure?"   
  
She smiled up at him. "Positive."   
  
"Ok."   
  
They spent the evening in Richard's bed, quietly talking. Knowing it was their last chance to be intimate for awhile, they made sweet, soft love. Always, their lovemaking remained gentle and extremely sensual, but it was more than that this time. It wasn't just sensual and erotic, although it was both. But, it was also the most intense experience that either of them had ever felt. Afterwards, Richard spooned up behind Caroline, holding her tight and whispering words of love.   
  
Soon though, reality reared its ugly head. "Are you sure you want to stay with me? I mean, Caroline, I love you so much. I want you to be happy, and if you won't be happy tied down to me, then…"   
  
She turned over in his arms and silenced him with a her fingertip, "Richard, stop. I know it's gong to be hard, but I love you too much…I can't bear they thought of not talking to you or not seeing you ever again. Trust me, this is what I want."   
  
"It's going to be hard, not seeing you everyday."   
  
"I know, but it'll be worth it when we do see each other."   
  
He kissed her softly on the lips. "So, when will I see you again?"   
  
"I don't know…I can probably get to New York once before Thanksgiving…and then maybe after Christmas…"   
  
"I guess that isn't too far away."   
  
"I'll miss you."   
  
"I'll miss you too."   
  
They lay in bed for the rest of the night, not really talking, they didn't need to. Soon, they fell asleep, dreaming of the next time they would be able to do it again.   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
They awoke the next morning early, both of them needing to pack. Wanting to spend as much time together as possible, they helped each other pack. Caroline was the first to leave.   
  
"Hi Mom, Dad!" She pulled both of her parents into a tight hug. "This is a guy I was telling you about, Richard."   
  
"Well, hello, Richard." Caroline's mom and dad both stuck their hands out.   
  
"Um…hi," he answered awkwardly, "it's nice to meet you."   
  
"It's nice to meet you too."   
  
Richard helped them get her stuff from the dorm and load up the car. When everything was ready, her parents gave them a few minutes to say goodbye. Richard pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm really going to miss you."   
  
"I'll miss you too, but it's only going to be a month or two…"   
  
"I know."   
  
"I love you."   
  
"I love you too." He placed a soft kiss on her lips.   
  
"Call me when you get in tomorrow?"   
  
He fought the tears that were coming to his eyes. "Yeah."   
  
She raked her fingers through his hair, fighting tears of her own. "I can't believe I won't see you tomorrow, or the next day…" The tears finally came, rolling silently down her cheeks.   
  
He pulled her close, consoling her. "I know, but like you said…it won't be too long."   
  
"Yeah." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I have to go." She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you."   
  
Covering her hand with his own, he said, "I love you too."   
  
She pulled back, "Mom? Dad? I'm ready."   
  
Her parents came around the corner. Her dad held his hand to Richard again, which Richard took.   
  
"It was nice to meet you Richard."   
  
"It was nice to meet you too, sir."   
  
"Thank you for taking such good care of my little Pudding."   
  
"No problem, Mr. Duffy," he smiled, "It was my pleasure."   
  
He looked over at Caroline at the same time she looked up at him. "Bye Richard."   
  
"Bye Caroline."   
  
(to be continued) 


	6. The Separation

The Art Seminar and Thereafter By: Kaffy  
  
Chapter 6: The Separation  
  
The next 2 months were hard for both Richard and Caroline. But, while it fed Richard's art, it stifled Caroline's sense of humor, an essential for a cartoonist, and her grades suffered. They talked every night and he was really starting to worry about her. She was acting depressed and cynical. He missed the old Caroline who babbled a mile a minute and challenged his pessimism. Luckily, she was flying to New York to see him for a few days tomorrow. Maybe he could cheer her up.  
  
He dialed her number. "Hello?" she answered sadly.  
  
"Hey Caroline, it's me."  
  
She perked up a bit. "Hey you."  
  
"How are you doing? How were your classes today?"  
  
"Ok…I got that project back, I got a D."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok, how were yours?"  
  
"They were good. My teacher really likes the stuff I've been doing."  
  
"Good, I'm glad one of us is doing well in class."  
  
"Are you really doing that bad?"  
  
"Yeah. I just don't find anything in Wisconsin funny like used to."  
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
"It's ok, really. At least I get to see you tomorrow."  
  
He smiled. "What time does your flight get in?"  
  
"Eleven thirty."  
  
"Ok, I'll be there."  
  
"I'm so happy I get to see you. I miss you so much."  
  
"I miss you too, but we'll see each other in less than 24 hours."  
  
"I know, I'm glad."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I better go, I still have to pack."  
  
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah. I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Richard looked down at his watch. 11:32. She would be in any minute now. He couldn't wait. Suddenly, a voice came over the speaker. "Flight 122 from Madison is now unloading at Gate G." He quickly made his way over to Gate G and watched for her. After about 5 minutes, she came out looking wide-eyed and afraid.  
  
He smiled and yelled her name. "Caroline! Over here!" She looked over and caught his gaze. Her face lit up and she ran to him. He caught her in his arms and held her tight, smiling bigger than he ever remembered smiling before. "Oh god, I missed you…" He pulled back and brushed his lips against hers.  
  
She laughed, "I missed you too."  
  
They held each other tight for a few moments before letting go and leaving to go back to his place to get settled in.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You don't have to live in the dorms?" she asked as the entered his apartment building.  
  
"No, New York is big enough that I just moved here and said I was commuting."  
  
"Man, we have to live in the dorms for 2 years. It isn't fair."  
  
"Well, this is it." He opened the door for her.  
  
She looked around. It was a small, one-room flat. There was really just enough room for a double bed, a mini-fridge, a stove, a bathroom, a closet, and a small dresser. "It's nice," she said as she looked around, obviously trying to be nice.  
  
He laughed. "No, it's not, but it's cozy, cheap, and close to campus, so…"  
  
She smiled. "Yeah."  
  
"I, um, cleaned out a drawer for you to use. You can put your stuff in there, it's the top one."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
She unpacked her things, with his help, and they lay down in his bed, cuddling. He cradled her in his left arm and slowly rubbed her arm with his right as she rested her head on his chest.  
  
"I've never seen something so big in my life."  
  
"What? The city?"  
  
"Yeah, it's scary."  
  
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "You want me to show you around?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Ok, we'll do it tomorrow. I kind of had other plans for tonight," he grinned mischievously.  
  
"Oh really." She raised her head and climbed on top of him, her lips just inches from his.   
  
He grinned and reached up to kiss her. "Oh yeah."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Don't you have to go to class, Richard?" she asked the next morning.  
  
"Nah…my teachers are pretty cool, I told them I had someone coming in from out of town and they told me not to worry about it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Ok, time to get dressed. We're going out…"  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"I promised to take you on a tour of the city, remember?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
The got dressed and he led her around the city, showing her the typical tourist attractions: The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, The Statue of Liberty, Radio City…needless to say, by the end of the day, they were exhausted. When they got home, they just collapsed into bed and fell asleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
They spent the next couple of days in bed, not just making love, although there was plenty of that, but also talking, cuddling, and making up for lost time. Caroline sighed, "I wish this could last forever."  
  
"What?"  
  
"This…us…I wish I never had to leave."  
  
He kissed her shoulder, "Me too."   
  
They laid quietly for a few minutes, until Caroline jumped up, "Oh my God!" She grabbed one of his sketchpads and began drawing furiously.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I just thought of something really funny and I wanted to get it down on paper, maybe I could turn it in to pull up my grades."  
  
"Oh," he said, grinning at her, "What's it about?"  
  
"Me…in the city, and all the funny stuff that someone like me sees when they go to New York for the first time."  
  
"Can I see when you're done?"  
  
"Yeah." She worked feverishly for the next couple of minutes, chuckling softly to herself. Richard smiled, glad to see that gleam in her eyes, that spark. She seemed really happy and he was glad that she was finally back to her old self. "Ok, I'm done…here." She handed the panel to him to read. His lips moved slightly as he read the words. It was about a crazy cab driver scaring her.  
  
He laughed, "This is good."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"Yeah," he chuckled, "it is. Do you have anymore ideas along these lines?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I mean they're just popping out of my head…" She was already doing another one. He grinned and watched her work, excited to see her so happy. It was 2 hours and 6 strips later that she put her pen down with a cramp in her hand. She had shown Richard each strip as soon as she finished them. Even though comics weren't exactly his forte, he chuckled at each of them in succession. When she was done, she crawled into bed with him and rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry…"  
  
"Sorry, sorry for what?"  
  
"I have to leave tomorrow and I just spent half the day ignoring you and…"  
  
He cut her off by putting a finger to her lips. "It's ok…I know what it's like to have sudden inspiration," he kissed her softly, "Trust me, I don't care. I'm just glad to see you smile again."  
  
She grinned up at him, "You make me smile?"  
  
"Oh yeah?" he teased.  
  
"Yeah." She teased him back, brushing her lips against his, but never letting him taste her fully.  
  
"Come on, Caroline…you're driving me crazy…" He couldn't stand it anymore, he pulled her as close as possible, tasting her and letting her taste him. "I love you…"  
  
"I love you too…"  
  
The made love, hard, intense, and fulfilling. When they were finished, they lay in bed, holding hands and letting it sink in. Richard looked over at her. "What if we made some copies of your strip and sent them out to some newspapers…we might be able to get one of them to use it…"  
  
"Richard," she sighed, "It doesn't work that way, and besides, I'm leaving tomorrow…"  
  
"Well, at least let me make some copies and take them around…"  
  
"I guess, but it really doesn't work that way…"  
  
"How does it work?"  
  
"You have to get an agent and work on small papers and build up a fan base until you're ready for syndication."  
  
"But this is really good, you'll never get it published if you don't try…"  
  
"I know," she said unsurely, "I just don't want to seem unprofessional about this…."  
  
"It can't hurt to try, can it? I mean, it's not like anyone who sees it as unprofessional is going to remember who did the cartoons anyway…just let me try a few papers."  
  
"I guess it couldn't hurt."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day, Richard took Caroline to the airport, but not before stopping at Kinko's to make copies of her work. For the next 2 months, when he had free time, he went around the city to several different newspapers and magazines, showing them Caroline's cartoons. They continued to talk on the phone every night, even when Caroline went home for Christmas break. Her parents made her stay for Christmas, but decided to let her fly to New York for New Year's Eve. They knew she knew someone there and that she would hate them forever if they kept her from Richard any longer than absolutely necessary.   
  
It was Christmas, she would be flying out to New York the next day. She picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Richard."  
  
She could tell he was smiling on the other end. "Hey."  
  
"I just wanted to check on everything for tomorrow…"  
  
"You're flight gets in at 2:30, right?"  
  
"Yep." She replied cheerfully.  
  
"I'll be there."  
  
"Good."  
  
"How was your Christmas?"  
  
"Good, but I'll be glad to get out of my house…too many relatives here. What about you?"  
  
"Mine was ok, I guess…I didn't really do anything, but-"  
  
She interrupted, appalled, "You didn't do anything to celebrate Christmas?"  
  
"No, I never do."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm just…I don't know. Christmas is such a big deal for my family. I've never met anyone who didn't do anything to celebrate it."  
  
"Well, I don't." She was silent. "I stayed home and painted."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You don't have to feel sad for me, I liked it."  
  
"I know, I don't feel sad for you. I was just saying 'oh.'"  
  
"Ok." He suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah, I took those strips you did to one of the newspapers, and they said they wanted to talk to you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"They want to meet with you."  
  
"Oh my god." She whispered.  
  
"What? Is that not good?"  
  
"I don't know, I mean, I didn't think it would work."  
  
"Do you want me to set up a meeting?"  
  
"Yeah…I guess."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They talked for the next hour, wishing they were in bed cuddling, rather than hundreds of mile apart. They hung up, anxious to get to sleep so that tomorrow would come even quicker.  
  
(to be continued) 


	7. The Next Trip

The Art Seminar and Thereafter By: Kaffy  
  
Chapter 7: The Next Trip  
  
When Caroline walked out of the tunnel, Richard was waiting for her, carrying a large bouquet of red roses. She ran up to him, hugging him hard. He laughed and held her close, kissing her hair. They stood for a few moments, grateful to be with one another again and basking in the other's affections.  
  
"Come on," Richard said, grabbing her hand, "Let's go home." They got her suitcase and took a cab back to his apartment. When they arrived, they unpacked her things and decided to take a walk around the city. They walked for over an hour, making small talk and gently holding hands.   
  
It was a little before dinner time when they got back. Tired from the plane, Caroline took a short nap while Richard got a little painting done.  
  
He was still painting when Caroline first opened her eyes. She continued to watch him paint, not alerting him to her consciousness. He suddenly looked over and smiled, approaching her on the bed. "Hi." He placed a soft kiss on her lips.  
  
"Hi," she replied sleepily.  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." He sat down next to her.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was just tired from the flight."  
  
"It's ok, I needed to get some painting done anyway."  
  
"Good."  
  
"I thought we could go out to dinner tonight…"  
  
"Ok."  
  
"I know the perfect place."  
  
"Where?"  
  
He grinned down at her, "It's a surprise."  
  
She mock-pouted, "I hate it when you do that."  
  
"Tough."  
  
She sighed, "Fine, I guess…at least tell me if I need to dress up."  
  
"You don't have to, but you can if you want."  
  
"Ok." She got up and walked towards the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour later, they left his dingy building and hailed a cab. Richard said, "The Apollo Restaurant please," to the cabbie.  
  
Caroline rested her head on his shoulder and rested his head on hers, lightly rubbing her thigh as the cab wove through the city streets. They sat quietly until they got to the restaurant. Richard paid the driver and helped her out of the cab. She looked up and smiled, it was a diner, just like the one from Dougan. "Richard, this is great…a diner." She grinned up at him.  
  
"I know."  
  
"When did you find this place?"  
  
"A couple of weeks ago. But, I wanted to wait until you got her to come in and try it." He opened the door for her. The diner wasn't what you would call romantic, there were obnoxious customers, loud waitresses, and a lot of banging dishes in the kitchen, but it was perfect to them. After a nice, greasy dinner, he paid the bill and they took off.  
  
"So?" he asked. "What do you want to do now?"  
  
"I don't know. You're the one that lives here. You tell me…what's fun to do here?"  
  
"Well, I usually stay home and paint, but I want to take you out. We could go dancing or see a show…there's a lot of different things."  
  
"We can do whatever will make you the least miserable."  
  
He laughed, "Ok, let's go dancing. I wouldn't mind that too much," he pressed his forehead to hers, "As long as I'm dancing with you." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.  
  
She grinned. "Ok, that sounds good." He took her hand and they walked to a local piano bar, one with a dance floor. Immediately upon walking in, Caroline dragged Richard to the dance floor, pulling him close. He smiled and went with her pull, wrapping his right arm tightly around her waist while placing her hand over his heart with his left. They swayed gently to the slow beat of the music, her head resting on his chest and his head resting on hers.  
  
Neither of them spoke for a few songs, they just danced quietly, until Richard broke their trance. "I made that meeting for you…"  
  
She pulled back slightly, looking up into his eyes. "When?"  
  
"In 3 days, with a guy named Del Cassidy…"  
  
"Is it a newspaper?"  
  
"Kind of…I took it to a newspaper and they said that I needed to talk to the owner. It turns out he's like a huge mogul or something, he owns several newspapers, a local television station, and a greeting card company. Del is his son and approves all of the comic strips they use."  
  
"Oh, so my life could change completely in 3 days."  
  
He smiled, "Yeah, pretty much."  
  
"Good to know." She went back to his chest. "Will you come with me?"  
  
"If you want me to."  
  
"Good."  
  
They danced in silence for the next couple of hours, taking breaks during the fast songs for Richard's sake (he didn't know how to dance to them). But, Caroline was getting tired and was having a hard time dancing. Richard picked up on it.  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah, just a little tired is all."  
  
"Do you want to go home?"  
  
"Not if you don't want to."  
  
"I don't care. If you're tired, we should go."  
  
"Are you sure you don't mind?"  
  
He kissed her knuckles, "Positive. Come on, let's go." He grabbed their coats and escorted her out of the club. They took a cab home and immediately crawled into bed upon arriving there. Both of them fell asleep right away, wrapped tightly in the other's arms.  
  
(to be continued) 


	8. The Interview

The Art Seminar and Thereafter  
By: Kaffy  
  
  
Chapter 8: The Interview  
  
Richard and Caroline spent the next 2 days working on their respective art forms. Caroline sat on the bed drawing while Richard stood poised in front of the canvas. Both worked in silence all day, neither wanting to disturb the other. By the time the meeting came around, Caroline had at least 20 strips to show this Del Cassidy.  
  
Before they knew it, it was the day of the meeting. Richard walked her to the building and waited with her in the lobby.  
  
"Do you want me to go in with you?"  
  
"No, that would be unprofessional."  
  
"Ok, I'll wait for you right here."  
  
"Ok." Just then, she was called into Del's office.  
  
Richard noticed how nervous she was. He grasped her hand. "Relax, you're going to be fine." She smiled at him. "Good luck." He let go and watched as she walked through the door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
She opened the office door, surprised to see someone not much older than herself sitting at the desk.  
  
"You must be Caroline Duffy…" he stuck his hand out and she took it. "Del Cassidy."  
  
"Nice to meet you."  
  
"Likewise. So, I understand you draw a comic strip."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I see, what papers have you been in?"  
  
She stuttered, "Um, I haven't, um, I haven't, um, really been published yet…"  
  
He looked up. "Oh. Well that does change things a bit."  
  
"Ok, I understand." She got up to go.  
  
"No, no, no. I didn't mean that we wouldn't publish you. I just meant that it would change things a bit."  
  
She sat down and laughed, embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry."  
  
"Can I see what you've done so far?"  
  
She handed him her portfolio. "Hmm…this is good. I like the country mouse in the big city thing." She crossed her fingers. He looked up. "I like it. I'd like to do something with it."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. I have to run it across my father first, but I think we might be able to do something with it."  
  
"That's great!"  
  
"I'll talk to him tonight. Can you come in tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Ok, 9:00?"  
  
"Sounds great. Thank you, Mr. Cassidy." She stuck her hand out again.  
  
"Please, call me Del."  
  
She smiled sheepishly. "Ok, thank you Del."  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Yes. Thank you. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
She calmly walked out of the office, walking straight up to Richard. He looked up form the book he was reading, "Well, how did it go?" She didn't answer, but instead grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the elevator. Once the doors closed, she hit the red button and turned to Richard, a big smile on her face. He matched her smile and grasped her hands. "Does that smile mean it went well?" She nodded. "What happened?"  
  
"He said he really liked it, he'd have to run it by his father first, but it looked like he could really do something with it."  
  
"So they'll probably publish your strip?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
He picked her up and spun her around the elevator. "That's great!" He put her down and kissed her softly on the lips.  
  
She smiled up at him. "I know." She reached up and kissed him again. "I have to come back tomorrow morning and he'll let me know for sure, but…"  
  
"I'm so happy for you."  
  
He started the elevator again. They talked excitedly all the way home.  
  
"So, what are you going to tell your parents?"  
  
"I don't know. I didn't even tell them about he meeting. I told them you were showing my stuff around, but that's it."  
  
"Well, what happens if they decide to publish it?"  
  
"Well, I'd have to quit school, at least for a little while, and move here….after that, I don't really know…I guess I'll know tomorrow, and if they say 'yes,' I start looking for an apartment."  
  
"Why do you have to look for any apartment? Why don't you just move in with me?"  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah." His eyes sparkled with excitement as did hers.  
  
"But, isn't your place kind of small for two people?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess…we could find a bigger place…"  
  
"Yeah. Let's just see what they say tomorrow. I'll call my parents tonight and warn them, me moving to New York can't come out of the blue."  
  
"That's probably a good idea."  
  
"Thank you, Richard."  
  
"Me? For what?"  
  
"This never would have happened if you hadn't convinced me to let you show my stuff around, you made this possible." She said sweetly.  
  
"Does this mean I get 10% of what you make, like an agent?"  
  
"No," she pulled him aside, "But you get some other pretty nice benefits…" She kissed him soundly on the lips.  
  
"Even better." They continued to kiss lovingly for a few moments before Richard pulled away.  
  
"We better get home or I'm going to need some serious medical attention."  
  
"Ok," she laughed, "Let's go."  
  
They hurried home and fell into bed, celebrating Caroline's newfound success.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Caroline called her parents later on that afternoon. "Mom?"  
  
"Hey hone, how's New York?"  
  
"Good, I'm having fun…"  
  
"That's good, how's Richard?"  
  
"He's good."  
  
"Good."  
  
"I…um…I have news."  
  
"What's that dear?"  
  
"Well, uh, I had a meeting today with the owner of several newspapers, and…uh…well, he uh…he thinks he can probably publish my strips.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Yeah, I know, isn't it amazing?"  
  
"Yeah, but is it in New York?"  
  
"Well, yeah…but…this could be the break I need, I don't want to pass it up…"  
  
"I know, honey, but New York is a big city, I'll worry about you living there all by yourself…"  
  
"But, I won't be alone here…Richard's here…"  
  
"I know, but you don't have any family there, honey…I'll just worry so much, you're so young to move to New York by yourself…"  
  
"Mom, let's not talk about this now, I don't even know for sure, I'll know tomorrow."  
  
"Ok. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll have a serious discussion about this."  
  
"Ok, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Caroline sighed.  
  
"Bye dear."  
  
"Bye Mom, tell Dad I love him."  
  
"I will. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
She hung up the phone and turned to Richard, who was painting in the corner. "I don't think that went over too well…"  
  
He turned to look at her. "She's not happy for you?" He was surprised, he thought her parents would be thrilled that she was getting her career started.  
  
"She's happy that someone is interested in my work, but she's worried about me moving here, you know, I'm too young, don't know enough people, blah blah blah."  
  
"Do you think they'll be mad if you move out here?"  
  
"Not mad, just worried."  
  
"Oh." He put down his art supplies and sat down on the bed with her, gently grasping her hand. "So what are you going to do?"  
  
"I don't know…I'm not going to worry about it right now." She pulled him back down onto the bed with her. "I just want to lay with you and not worry about a single thing."  
  
"Ok."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day, they went back to Del's office to get his answer. Richard gently rubbed her hand while they waited, helping her to relax. "Just relax, Caroline, you'll be fine…"  
  
"I know, I'm just so nervous…this could change my entire my life…"  
  
"I know, but you have to take this one step at a time."  
  
"I know." She took a few deep breaths until her name was called and she choked, whispering, "Oh god…"  
  
"Relax, you'll do great."  
  
She smiled weakly and got up.  
  
  
(to be continued) 


	9. The Job

The Art Seminar and Thereafter  
By: Kaffy  
  
  
Chapter 9: The Job  
  
"Well, Caroline, my father liked your stuff as much as I did. We decided to publish your strip in the newspapers for 6 months. Depending on reader response, we'll see about other merchandising." Del smiled across the desk at her.  
  
"What? You're going to publish my strip?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Oh my god." Suddenly feeling faint, she collapsed into the chair.  
  
Getting nervous, Dell went to her, "Are you ok?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm better than ok…thank you so much Mr. Cassidy!"  
  
"I told you…call me Del."  
  
"Sorry," she grabbed his hand and started shaking it vigorously, "Thank you so much, Del!"  
  
He laughed. "Ok, enough. Let's see, your first strip will be published a month from now…" They spent the next 20 minutes going over the business aspects of her new contract. When they were done, she shook his hand excitedly and left his office.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Richard sat quietly while he waited, thinking about what this meeting could mean. He could see Caroline every day. He could go to bed with her every night and wake up to her every morning. He could spend his days at class while she worked and spend the nights with her. He smiled as he realized how long the meeting was taking…they wouldn't be rejecting her for an entire hour. When she came out smiling bigger than he had ever seen her smile, he knew it went well. She ran up to him and hugged him tight. He laughed, "Does this mean it went well?"  
  
She nodded in his arms, still holding him tight. "Thank you."  
  
"Me? What did I do?"  
  
"You made my dreams come true… I have a strip and it's going to be published…"  
  
"You did all the work…"  
  
"Because you made me…"  
  
"You would have anyways, it's what inside of you."  
  
"Please just let me thank you…"  
  
"Fine," he sighed, "Thank me…"  
  
"Thank you."   
  
"You're welcome. Now, let's take a walk. I want to hear every that happened."  
  
He grabbed their coats and opened the door for her. "Well, he said his father…" She told him everything that Del told her. His father owned 25 newspapers nationwide and it would be published in every single one. Plus, they were going to give her a small greeting card package to start out with. Her income wouldn't be very much at first, probably around $25,000, but it could increase substantially at the end of six months depending on reader response and other merchandising opportunities. So basically, she would have to be moved in to New York in a month.  
  
"So what are you going to tell your parents?"  
  
"The truth…they know it's the right thing to do."  
  
"I know, but you said they'd worry…"  
  
"Well, they will. But they also know this is something I have to do."  
  
He nodded. He didn't know how to ask his next question. "Do you still want to…"  
  
"Want to what?"  
  
"Well…move in together?"  
  
Fear clenched her throat shut. "I don't know…do you?" she asked, hoping he hadn't changed his mind.  
  
He smiled. "Caroline, I would spend every minute of every day with you if I had the chance, but I don't want to push you too hard, if you're not ready…"  
  
"Oh, I'm ready… I want to spend as much time with you as possible too."  
  
He stopped, making her stop with him and placing a small kiss on her lips. "So, should we start looking for an apartment?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess, but I have to talk to my parents first."  
  
"Will they have a problem with it?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Well, then maybe we shouldn't, I don't want to step on their toes."  
  
"Don't worry…they'll be mad at me…not you."  
  
"But because of me…"  
  
"Richard, you don't have to worry. My parents love you."  
  
He smiled. "I'm glad they like me, but if they won't like me anymore because we move in together…Caroline, I want to marry you someday, I don't want them to hate me forever because we couldn't wait for something like that."  
  
She stopped him and looked him in the eye. "Do you want to move in with me?" He nodded. "Well, so do I…that's all that counts. My parents wont' hate you, they'll just wish we were married first."  
  
"What if we were?"  
  
"If we were what?"  
  
"Married."  
  
"What?"  
  
"What if we went and got married today?" he said seriously.  
  
"You're really serious?"  
  
"Yeah…I mean, I love you and you love me. Let's go to the courthouse and get married."  
  
"I can't get married now. I want a big wedding and my family there…"  
  
He looked to the ground. "Yeah, I know…I just love you so much…I want you to be happy…I don't to cause any problems between you and your parents, but if you want to live with me…I don't know…I just love you and want you to be happy."  
  
"You really want to marry me?" She smiled.  
  
He suddenly became self-conscious and started shuffling his feet. "Well…yeah."  
  
They reached his door. "That is so sweet." He unlocked the door and let her in. "But I don't think we should get married to make my parents feel better. Who knows? Maybe they might be ok with it?"  
  
"I'll do whatever you want me to do."  
  
"I'm just going to call them, tell them about the job, tell them we're going to start looking for a bigger apartment tomorrow, and that there's nothing they can do about it."  
  
"You do what you have to do."  
  
She picked up the phone. "I will." She said and dialed the number.  
  
Richard watched as she told her parents exactly what she said she would. As predicted, they weren't happy that they decided to live together, they thought it was improper, but they knew that Richard seemed to be the only one who made their little girl happy, so they gave their approval. They decided that Caroline should stay in New York until they found a place, then they should both fly back to Wisconsin to get her things and move her to New York.  
  
  
  
(to be continued) 


	10. The Big Move

The Art Seminar and Thereafter  
By: Kaffy  
  
  
Chapter 10: The Big Move  
  
The next day, they looked everyone they could to find an apartment that was big enough, close to campus, and affordable. Caroline's parents said that they would pay for most of the little things they needed and would help her until she got into the swing of things. It took them a couple of days, but eventually, they found a small, one-bedroom apartment not too far from campus. It had a decent sized bedroom, a living area, a nice kitchen, and a full bath. Plus, it was only a five-minute walk from campus.  
  
Before they knew it, six months had passed. Just as Richard and Del had predicted, Caroline's strip was a huge success. It wasn't long before other newspapers wanted to publish it. With her approval, Del put her strip into syndication. Her salary shot through the roof right as their one-year anniversary was approaching. Richard was done with classes for the summer and unlike last summer, he planned on spending the summer working, if he could find a job. But, while he was having a hard time finding a suitable job, Caroline was having a hard time getting through all the work.   
  
Richard sighed, "Ugh…I'm never going to find a job!"  
  
"Hmmm?" she asked distractedly while she tried to finish coloring a greeting card.  
  
"I'm never going find a job! At least not a decent one."  
  
"I'm sorry, hon." She said absently again.  
  
"Are you even listening?" he asked, a touch testy.  
  
She looked up from her work. "I'm sorry, I'm just really busy. I don't know how I'm going to get all this stuff colored in by Friday."  
  
"I wish that was my problem, I had too much work to do."  
  
She could tell he was bored and irritated, but she had too much to do to argue with him. "Well, if all you're going to do is sit and mope, color while you do it." She handed him a panel.   
  
He took it from her and sighed. "Great. This is just great. I'm unemployed, living off my girlfriend, and now I'm coloring a comic strip." He started coloring it.  
  
"Are you just venting or should I actually try to make you feel better?"  
  
"Just let me vent."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"It just really sucks, you know. The only summer jobs in this city are at McDonald's or waiting tables at some cheesy restaurant. There's nothing artistic anywhere."  
  
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. "Why don't you work for me?"  
  
"What?!" He was surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you can help me color the strip, be my assistant."  
  
"You can't be serious."  
  
"Why not? I need the help, you need a job. Why not?"  
  
"How many reasons to do you want me to give you? I mean, that would be a year-round type of a job, not a summer thing. I want to do something more artistic, and I really don't think we should be working together." He got a mischievous look on his face. "We might not get any work done." He walked behind her at the desk and nuzzled into her neck… "We might end up doing….other stuff."  
  
"Fine." She turned around in her chair to embrace him. "I'm just sick of hearing you mope around here. I don't want you doing it tomorrow when we go out, so I thought I'd make an offer." She paused to press a soft kiss to her lips. "If you don't want the job, don't take it. But, you could do it for the summer, then I could hire someone else. It's more artistic than waiting tables. And as for not actually getting work done…well, I wouldn't think you would be complaining about that." She brushed her lips against his.  
  
He unconsciously moaned as she moved lower, kissing the nape of his neck. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I just don't want it to cause any tension between us. I love you way too much to lose you now over some silly job."  
  
"You won't lose me. If it causes any tension between us, I'll fire you."  
  
He laughed. "Ok, we can give it a try."  
  
She pulled away. "Ok, I'd love to continue this little lovefest, but we have work to do."  
  
She turned around to start doing her work, leaving Richard shocked and confused. Did she just seduce him to get him to accept the job? She did. He smiled to himself. **She always knows what buttons to push to get me to do something.** He settled back down on the bed to finish the panel she'd handed him earlier.  
  
"So, Richard, what are doing tomorrow night?"  
  
"Do you really thing I'm going to tell you?"  
  
"I was hoping you would, but I'm taking that as a no."  
  
"Nope…I'm only going to tell you that I have two big surprises planned, that's it."  
  
"I hate it when you do this to me.'  
  
He smiled. "I know."  
  
  
(to be continued) 


	11. Thereafter

The Art Seminar and Thereafter  
By: Kaffy  
  
  
The next day, Caroline showed Richard exactly what his job would be. They worked in a tense silence all day. Caroline kept giving Richard curious looks that soon turned into annoyed looks. Richard just laughed at her persistent need to know all the secrets he was going to reveal later on that night. So they worked quietly for the remainder of the day.  
  
It was around 4:45 when Richard finally broke the silence. "So, what time do we finish today?"  
  
"When you tell me what you have planned for tonight…"  
  
He laughed, "So I have to color in you strip forever?"  
  
She sighed and stared up at him. "You're killing me you know?"  
  
"I know, I just like surprising you."  
  
"I hate surprises." She pouted under her breath, but Richard still caught it."  
  
"Ok, I'll tell you what we're doing, but not what the two surprises are."  
  
"Can't we do it the other way around?"  
  
"No, it's that or nothing."  
  
"Ok, tell me."  
  
"We're going to dinner, then to a show."  
  
"A show? What kind of show?"  
  
"A new musical…Cats."  
  
"Cats? I've heard of that, but I heard it was sold out for the next six months."  
  
"He smiled. "You'll understand how I got the tickets when we get there…it's one of the surprises."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
He grabbed her hands, "You'll see…but can we stop working so we can get ready. I made reservations for dinner and I don't want to miss them."  
  
"Ok, ok. What time are the reservations?"  
  
"In an hour."  
  
"Oh… I really need to get moving then."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Forty-five minutes later, the young couple emerged from their apartment building, gently clinging onto each other's hands. Richard hailed a cab and politely opened the door for her. "Patrie's please, 38th and Lex."  
  
"Sure thing, Captain," was the driver's response. They spent most of the ride in silence as the cab wove through the busy New York streets. When they got there, Caroline paid the driver as Richard helped her out of the car.  
  
The enjoyed a nice, romantic dinner cloaked in candlelight. When they were just about done, Richard looked down at his watch. "Ok…we have to get going, the show starts in 45 minutes." He pulled out his credit card and paid the bill. He hailed another cab and they headed to the Winter Garden Theatre.   
  
When they got to the theatre, he pulled out their tickets and gave them to the usher, who glanced at the tickets to see where they would be sitting…the front row…dead center. He escorted them to their seats and handed each of them a program. "Enjoy the show."  
  
They each thanked him and flipped through the program while they waited for the show to start. That was when Caroline got her first surprise. She was flipping through the pages when she saw a familiar face looking up at her.  
  
"Oh my god! Annie?"  
  
Richard smiled. "Yep."  
  
"That's how you got the tickets?"  
  
"Yep, I saw her the other day on the subway."  
  
"I'm so excited for her, does she know we're here?"  
  
"She's expecting us after the show."  
  
"Good." She smiled and sat back to enjoy the show.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Caroline sat in wonder as she watched Annie perform. That seminar last summer had apparently helped her, if not with her talent then definitely with her reputation. She glided lithely across the stage, captivating the entire audience. When the show was over, Richard and Caroline snuck backstage to see Annie.  
  
When the two women saw each other, they both shrieked and ran to each other with open arms. "Oh my god, Annie!"  
  
"Caroline!" The hugged each other tight. "How did you like the show?"  
  
"It was great, you were phenomenal!"  
  
"Thanks…it is so good to see you."  
  
"I know, how long have you been in the show?"  
  
"Just a couple of weeks."  
  
"Wow, I'm so proud of you."  
  
"Thanks, so how are you?"  
  
"Good, but really busy."  
  
"Yeah, I've seen the strip, it's really good."  
  
"Thanks. How's Seth?"  
  
"Oh, Seth and I broke up when we left, he's back with his ex-girlfriend."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. I would never have lasted anyway."  
  
"Well, in that case, I think I know someone who you like, you want me to set you up?"  
  
"Maybe, who is he?"  
  
"My boss, Del."  
  
"Maybe….look, if you guys want to wait for a little while, I'll be out of my makeup in an hour or so, do you want to get some coffee or something?"  
  
Richard piped up, "Actually, I had something really special planed for later on, maybe tomorrow?"  
  
Caroline looked at him questioningly. "What do you have planned?"  
  
He grinned, "I told you, I have two surprises for you tonight, Annie was just the first one, there's still one more."  
  
Annie smiled, guessing what the surprise might be. "Well, I have to get going and get out of my costume and stuff, I'll see you two later." She hugged Caroline again and gave her a slip of paper with her number on it before going off to the dressing room.  
  
Richard offered Caroline his arm and flashed her a smile, "Shall we?"  
  
She smiled graciously and took his arm.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
They walked out of the theatre, Richard catching a cab. He quietly whispered something in the driver's ear and off he drove.  
  
"Richard, where are we going?"  
  
"I'm not telling."  
  
"No fair, you said it was just dinner and a show."  
  
"Oops…" he grinned at her, stretching his arm around her. "Did I forget to tell you about this?"  
  
She shoved him playfully before collapsing on his chest. "You're mean."  
  
He kissed her affectionately on top of her head. "No I'm not, I'm just playful."   
  
"Can you at least give me a hint?"  
  
"Hmmm…let me think…we'll be walking there."  
  
"But that could be anywhere."  
  
He laughed, "I know."  
  
"Fine, don't tell me." She turned away from him and started pouting.  
  
"No pouting, it's not fair. You know I hate seeing you like that."  
  
"Well, you know I hate surprises and you still surprise me."  
  
"I'm just trying to be romantic…"  
  
"I know," she replied, "I'm sorry, I'll just appreciate the gesture." She grabbed his hand and leaned against his shoulder. They rode the rest of the way in silence, quietly holding hands. Eventually, they pulled up to a beach. Richard pulled out his wallet and paid the driver then grasped her hand so they could walk.  
  
Neither spoke as they walked. They just wandered quietly until Richard took a leap.  
  
"You know when we first met, how I was kind of rude?" She nodded. "You know how I told you it was because I was trying to focus on my art?" She nodded again. "Well, that was only part of it." She looked into her curious eyes. "I was trying to push you away," he sighed to breathe in some courage, "because I was afraid of you."  
  
"Me? Why?"  
  
"You have to understand, I've been by myself pretty much my whole life. And when I first saw you, in the auditorium, I was so drawn to you. That's why I bumped into you. But, I saw myself as this loner, I didn't need anyone, and when I felt so drawn to you, I fought it. But, against my better judgment, I began to let you in, and I've never been happier."  
  
"Richard…"  
  
"Please, just let me finish or I'll never get this out. Now that I've let you in, I don't think I could ever live without you. I want to be with you forever." He got down on one knee. "Caroline, will you marry me?"  
  
A small gold ring with a small yet flawless diamond in the middle appeared in his hand. She fought to hold back the tears. "Of course I'll marry you Richard."  
  
She sank down into the sand with him, hugging him tightly. "Caroline, can I at least put the ring on your finger?"  
  
She laughed, "I'm sorry." She held her left hand out, letting him gently slide the ring up her finger before planting a small kiss on her palm.  
  
They stayed there, holding each other for a few minutes before getting up and going home.  
  
*~*~*~*~* Five years later *~*~*~*~*  
  
"Richard? Can you get Maddie ready? Del, Annie, and Matthew will be here soon!" Caroline called from the kitchen.  
  
"Just give me a couple of minutes to paint…"  
  
She opened the door to his studio, "Honey, you have enough painting for the show already, but Maddison will only turn two once, please go get her ready, I have to finish cooking."  
  
Richard sighed. "Ok, ok…" he answered placidly and put his palette and brush down, quietly kissing her lips. "I'm going."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Richard lay in bed later that night, watching his wife get ready to do the same. He smiled to himself, chuckling slightly. **Who would have thought that I would ever end up like this? Married? One kid with another on the way? Successful?**   
  
"What are you laughing at?"  
  
"I just never thought that I could be happy in this setting…"  
  
"What setting?" She crawled into bed next to him, immediately cuddling into his chest for comfort.  
  
"You know, wife, kids, etc."  
  
"But you are, right?"  
  
"Of course I'm happy. I have you, and Maddie, and Antony on the way…I can't imagine my life being any better."  
  
"Good." She turned over and switched off the lamp. "Goodnight, Richard."  
  
"Goodnight, Caroline." She was fast asleep before he even finished her name, the long day catching up to her. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you."  
  
The End 


End file.
